Matt Rainey/The Star-LedgerState Senator Barbara Buono questions NJ State Comptroller Matthew Boxer as he testifies before the NJ Senate Legislative Oversight Committee Wednesday morning.
Democrats in the state legislature have taken issue with Gov. Chris Christie's proposal to cut the State Commission of Investigation's budget by $3.5 million, which is 75 percent of the agency's budget, according to The Star-Ledger. Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono said Christie had “chutzpah” to try to make the cuts to the SCI and merge it with the state comptroller’s office, which is a quasi-independent agency within the executive branch. NJ.com community members are reacting to the news:

"Cooper said the agency saved the state government at least $50 million since its creation five years ago."

My view is that if all they found was roughly 50 milllion in 5 years, given the waste that we know we have, then we need a better agency. Better yet, we need a private watchdog who doesn't receive government funding.

Why not offer private watchdog entities a cut of the savings they identify as an incentive, similar to what is done with the whistle-blower laws? Seems to me that would get every Taxpayer in NJ really looking at what the Legislature spends with an eye toward 'leaning' government and making it more accountable.

Something like this would be tough to implement, but I sure would rather see private entities doing the watchdog work rather than government sponsored and funded agencies.